Tuesday, August 30, 2011

I've been working on a new piece, unnamed, for the last week. I haven't even mentioned it to anyone. I'm writing a Hanukkah novella for Loose Id, and I'm writing a Christmas short story for MLR press, but other than that, I get to wander through the corridors of my psyche, like some kind of road trip in my brain, and pick and choose what I want to write each day.

Considering I've spent the last three years meeting deadline after deadline after deadline, my choice to work on one of two complete novels, all alone, in the comfort of my room without contracts feels a little... Loosey Goosey. Like wearing a light summer dress without undies. Ultimately we'll see if this frees me to write the exact book I want to write, and with the help of crit partners and fans and friends, we'll see if it's a good way for me to work in general.

As always we have the twin driving passions of love of writing and ballroom dance to guide us!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

I'm giving away three copies of The Book Of Daniel to celebrate my new release! To be eligible for a copy, please send me an email with "TBOD contest" in the subject line. Don't forget to let me know what format you like.

My email address is zamaxfield @ Yahoo dot com (remove spaces and change the word dot to punctuation, of course) I'll be choosing my winners on Friday Night September 2, 2011 at midnight EST which is about 9:00 p.m. here in California.

Stay tuned, and for some other surprises, join my Yahoo group:

ZAMaxfieldsCyberCafe@yahoogroups.com

Follow me on Twitter:

@zamaxfield

Or come climb the tree in my backyard where I sit quivering with fearwaiting until all the hoopla has passed.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Ready to return to St. Nacho's? Then get ready for The Book of Daniel as one man finds that the heart knows where home is.

Coming August 30, 2011

Daniel Livingston is finally free. He’s come clean about his passionless marriage and moved to St. Nacho’s where he can spend time with his brother. Now he’s ready explore the endless sexual buffet being hot and rich and single has to offer.

The problem is a firefighter named Cameron Rooney who haunts his every waking thought and half his dreams. No doubt about it. Cam is going to require a level of honesty Dan has never before considered, and in order to achieve that, he will have to turn his life inside out. Coming clean to his ex-wife will cost him money, doing right by St. Nacho’s will anger his business partner, and exploring a painful family secret will hurt the one person Dan has sworn to protect.

Cam’s faith in Dan is tested and Dan’s belief in himself is nearly non-existent. In the end, forging a new path could cost him everything or net him the most important score of his life in The Book Of Daniel.

Sneak Peek Excerpt:

“Here he is.” Jake’s smile went critical and flooded the area around us with happiness. “Hi, babe.”

“Hey.” JT embraced my brother warmly and gave him a kiss.

“Dan.” JT turned to me and offered his hand. I took it with my bionic dexter and noticed he was gentle when he held it in his. He’d been the EMT to triage and treat me when they pulled me from the car after the accident, and while he’d seen a thousand injuries like mine — and far worse — he’d taken his time and been genuinely compassionate. I’d always be grateful for that. “Good to see you.”

“You too,” I answered. Gzzzzzzt. The lie detector in my head mocked me only minutes after I’d declared myself prevarication-free.

I looked behind JT and saw Cam Rooney walk in. I glanced up at him in some surprise. Both JT and Cam? To what did we owe the pleasure?

Cam raised a supercilious eyebrow — something you don’t expect from a brute like him — and stayed silent. It was no secret that Cam and I hadn’t exactly become BFFs. That was odd, really, and I’m sure he attributed it to sour grapes, since he was on the crew that cut my Lexus in half with the Jaws of Life, and I’d teased him about it. Not so. My gratitude for the men of the St. Nacho’s fire department was genuine; it was only Cam that chapped my ass. I had the feeling he didn’t think too much of me either.

The thing is, I was on constant alert around the man because he did something to my gut — something that made me go all boneless and vulnerable — and I knew if I didn’t protect myself, I’d fall into his blue eyes and drown. I might have let myself do just that if it weren’t for the fact that once I sank to the bottom, I’d only be one of hundreds, thousands maybe who’d done the very same thing.

“Well if it isn’t the abominable fireman.”

Cam’s smile didn’t fool me for a second. “That just never gets old.”

“Cut it out, you two.” Jake buffeted me with his shoulder. “You’re like toddlers.”

“But he cut my car in half.” I am not above making a bad situation worse. “I want it back.”

“I suppose you’d like the use of your hand back too.” Cam pulled out his chair and sat down, startling me. “Must get pretty lonely without it.”

“You would know.” Jake always invited me, and JT always invited Cam. I assumed they’d given up any matchmaking aspirations because it seemed clear we couldn’t thaw out, but maybe they just did it because it added a weird kind of tension, like sweet and sour. Like every party needed contrast, and we were it.

I finally opened up the menu and glanced at the selections, although it was perfectly obvious what I would order. I always ordered the same thing when the four of us went to Nacho’s together — anything with shrimp in it — because Cam was allergic to shellfish. Why I did that, I don’t know, except he looked at my shrimp with longing, and I liked to get his goat.

St. Nacho’s was a small town, and there wasn’t a lot to do. Certainly nothing much more fun than finding myself the object of Cam Rooney’s undivided attention, even if it wasn’t the good kind. Jake argued that I spent too much time on things like that, but from the moment we met, and especially after he saved my life, I’ve had an unholy jones for the big blond fireman. Maybe the thing I liked was his corny fresh-faced charm. Maybe it was the fact that we were the two biggest players in St. Nacho’s.

Maybe it was because he looked at me like he knew exactly who I was and he found it disappointing. Even so, I shivered whenever he caught my gaze across the table.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Happy Friday. You never get too old to glam it up. At least that's what I say. I'm living proof that inside the heart of every aging femme fatale there's a six year old girl who just cant WAIT until she's tall enough to see over the makeup counter.

To that end, I've endured some facials, some deforestation, some exfoliation, some dyeing and cutting and fluffing and the foolishness of makeup I would ordinarily never wear to a cockfight. I will either look like um... a well-groomed romance writer or a worst celebrity mugshot. And the best part is... if you're in Philadelphia next weekend, you can find out which!

I'm going to be with a lot of my fellow authors and friends in Philadelphia -- Aug 11 through the 13 -- for the Author's After Dark conference. I'll be reconnecting with some old friends, writers and readers alike, and I hope to be meeting up with new ones. If anyone is going to be in the area, the authors of MLR Press will be at Giovanni's Room on Friday, August 12, 2011, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

I'm going to be signing, giving out swag, going on a ghost tour, and checking out The City of Brotherly Love, and I hope I get the chance to see you there!